Dyno Cell: Neuspeed VW Supercharger

We gave you the first glimpse of this supercharger in our February 2001 issue, as it was one of the products we got spy shots of at the 2000 SEMA Show. The kit is now in full production and making boost in a 2.0-liter VW near you. The foundation of the kit is an Eaton 45 cubic-inch, twin-rotor blower. Neuspeed has separated itself from most other Eaton-based kits by incorporating the supercharger into the intake manifold, in much the same manner as TRD has done with a number of its kits. This incorporation makes for an OE-look installation and the chore of putting on the blower is much easier. The Neuspeed supercharger features a heavy-wall casting for sound deadening and wrap-around fins for strength and cooling.

The savvy VW enthusiast gets more than hard parts, as the Neuspeed package includes a custom Neuspeed P-Chip, which tunes the 2.0-liter's fuel and ignition curves for boosted performance. The blower is outfitted with a built-in bypass valve that relieves boost pressure at idle and light-throttle cruise to maintain optimum fuel efficiency. The Neuspeed supercharger comes with a 36-month limited warranty and is a 50-state legal affair via CARB E.O. 238-9.

Off To The Dyno Cell To make things a bit more interesting, we decided to superimpose a stock 1.8-liter turbo graph along with our stock 2.0-liter and supercharged 2.0-liter runs. The stock 2.0-liter can only put out 95.9 hp, but the blown version wakes up at 132.1 hp, which equates to a 36.2-hp increase. This is also right on the heels of the 1.8-liter turbo motor, which weighs in at a touch more than 140 hp. The torque curve is also pumped up with the blower, as the 2.0-liter has a lot of extra grunt down low, where it can be felt on the road. Torque jumped from a base of 112.8 lb-ft to 140 lb-ft.

The 2.0-liter VW powerplant is indeed a friend in need, as there are fewer options available compared with other engines in the import scene and the VW line for that matter. This makes the Neuspeed supercharger a real hard-hitter and there are a whole lot of 2.0-liter candidates out there prowling the streets.

In stock trim, the 2.0-liter VW engine can manage only 95.9 hp at the wheels. With the Neuspeed blower up and running, power climbed to 132.1 hp. Considering the scarcity of parts for the 2.0-liter, this is a hard-hitting modification.